"He's War Criminal": Zohran Mamdani Wants To Arrest Netanyahu During New York Trip

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he is still in talks over arresting Benjamin Netanyahu when the Israeli prime minister visits New York for the upcoming UN summit, prompting a swift response from Netanyahu's camp. 

"I believe that Prime Minister Netanyahu belongs in The Hague. He's a war criminal who has been charged by the International Criminal Court. That is an opinion that is held by many, purely because of what his actions have wrought over these last many years," Mamdani told The New York Times in an interview published on Saturday.

Mamdani had earlier pledged to arrest Netanyahu during his campaign for mayor. He said he is not sure if he has the power to order the arrest of a foreign leader and that he is consulting the city's legal advisers regarding the issue. 

"Whatever the law allows me to do in New York City, that's what we will do," said Mamdani. 

Mamdani's comments triggered a sharp response from Israel. "Instead of focusing on his responsibilities as mayor and confronting the rising wave of antisemitism in his city, he has chosen to incite hostility and generate headlines by attacking the State of Israel," Danny Danon, Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, wrote on X.

"It will not change a thing. Israeli Prime Minister @netanyahu will come to New York, address the United Nations General Assembly with pride, and stand before the world to state Israel's truth and its unwavering right to defend its citizens. And if anyone should be arrested, it is @NYCMayor Zohran Mamdani," Danon added. 

During a recent New York radio show, Netanyahu accused Mamdani of supporting Hamas and said, "I think, secretly, he hates America."